The Story Behind the Story
by ilovetvalot
Summary: When he said he meant to kill her, he never thought she'd take him so literally. Written in response to Kavi Leighanna & Sienna 27 Bonus #21 TV Prompt Challenge. TEN CHAPTERS
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Dear Readers: Please know that I have altered the timeline of this story for storyline purposes. We're aware that the years do not add up.**

**Author's Note: As you all know by now, we are in full swing on the Profiler's Choice Awards hosted on "Chit Chat on Author's Corner". And we'd like to offer an extra incentive to get those nominations rolling in. For the next five people to complete the nomination ballot in its entirety, I would be happy to write a oneshot of your pairing preference (hetero, slash or femslash, doesn't matter!). We have an abundance of incredible stories and authors to choose from this year and we have already received many wonderful nominations. Just to refresh your memory though, tonnie2001969 and myself (ilovetvalot) have removed ourselves from eligibility in the interest of avoiding all appearances of self-promotion. But, we want to make this an incredible experience for each one of you and give you a well-rounded final voting selection to choose from. So let's all put on our reading caps and pick our favorites! **

**Also, don't forget to sign up for our newest challenge at the forum. We're honoring Halloween with our first ever "Candy Land Challenge" and signups run through September 30th! Details are at the forum!**

**As always, guys, Happy Reading!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter One**

_**Prompt: Canada's Worst Driver - "A Turn for the Worst"**_

"I'm going to kill her," David Rossi hissed, his fingers clenching around the memo in his hand as he lifted his eyes to glare across the desk at Aaron Hotchner.

"Dave," Hotch stated, shaking his dark head warningly, well aware of the vendetta brewing around him, "don't do something you're going to regret. We knew the budget cuts were coming."

Waving the sheath of paper in front of Aaron, Dave shook his head vigorously. "She did this maliciously, man. She knew what Emily means to this team. And on the heels of releasing JJ...this was just malicious!"

"Perhaps," Hotch assented, watching as his friend's dark eyes flashed in pure hatred, "but, it _is_ her call, Dave. We just have to live with it."

"Maybe," Dave grunted over his shoulder as he turned for the door, his footsteps gaining in speed, "but, nobody said I had to do it silently."

"Dave, wait," Hotch called out belatedly, "You don't know the whole story yet." But, watching his office door slam closed, he grimaced. This was going to get ugly. The look on Dave's departing face had told him everything he didn't want to know.

David Rossi was on a mission. And survivors would be optional.

Stomping into Strauss's office minutes later, Dave glared coldly at the young secretary behind the desk. "Where is she, Amanda?" he bit out, heading for the partially closed door of the Section Chief's inner sanctum.

"Agent Rossi," Amanda said formally, rising quickly to defend her boss against what appeared to be an incredibly irate man. "Chief Strauss isn't receive-"

Ignoring the tiny woman's reprimand, Dave strode past her without hesitating, slamming open Erin's door. Eyes flashing fire as he stared across the room at the woman singlehandedly responsible for decimating the team he'd fought hard to rebuild after Gideon's departure, Dave growled, "You never could stand a little competition, could you, you bitch? What? Tell me, how exactly did Prentiss threaten your position at the top of this shit heap?"

Glancing up as her office door bounced off the wall, Erin Strauss sighed as she smoothly tossed the Rolaids in the palm of her hand to the back of her throat. Throwing the plastic bottle into her desk drawer, she studiously ignored the flash of pain determined to take up residence behind her sternum. Damn Rossi and his impeccable timing she thought grimly, shoving the drawer closed with a flick of her wrist.

Lips tightening, she rose from behind her desk, gripping the edge as another wave of the irritating dizziness she'd experienced all day assaulted her. But showing weakness in the presence of David Rossi would only encourage him to move in for the kill. Pressing a hand to her rolling stomach, she rubbed it unconsciously as she cast her secretary, cowering in the door a sympathetic look. She'd known David for too many years to think about, and she knew her assistant, while incredibly competent, was no match for a pissed of David Rossi. "It's fine, Amanda," she murmured to the panicked looking woman, nodding once in spite of the wave of pain in her neck.

"I tried to stop him, Chief Strauss," Amanda replied quickly, shooting an uncertain look at the dark-haired man who virtually vibrated with rage.

"Get her out of here, Erin, unless you want an audience for this," Dave warned in a seething voice, his eyes narrowing as he kept them trained on the woman that had pushed his patience to the limit.

Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, Erin smiled tightly at Amanda. "It's fine, Amanda. Please close the door behind you and hold my calls."

"Yes, ma'am," Amanda replied, dipping her head in deference and quickly closing the door behind her.

Waiting until the door clicked, Strauss turned cold eyes back to David and murmured, her voice even and controlled, "You always did have a unique way of making an entrance."

"Yeah, the only thing I'm better at is clearing a room," Dave retorted, striding toward Erin's desk and flinging down her memorandum between them on the desk. Pointing at it determinedly, he ordered, "Rescind it, Erin."

Blinking rapidly as she stared down at the single sheet of paper, Erin frowned as her vision blurred, although she didn't have to see the document to know what it was. "No," she said calmly without looking up.

"No?" David asked dangerously, walking around the desk to stand beside Erin. "Are you sure that's a word you're prepared to say to me, Erin?" he asked, keeping his voice low...lethal. "I let you get away with your petty games when you went after Jennifer Jareau. I maintained my silence like a good little boy. Do you honestly think I'm going to let the insult to my team pass twice without repercussions?"

Turning, Strauss kept one hand on her desk, suddenly unsteady on her feet. God, what was wrong with her? Swallowing hard, she replied, her tone clipped, "I don't think you have any say in the matter, Agent Rossi. I didn't cut the budget. That wasn't my decision."

"But you decided where those cuts would affect the units, didn't you, Erin? And it gave you a nice little way to twist your knife a bit deeper," Dave hissed, every word dripping with venom.

"That's not what I was doing," Erin shook her head, wincing as another wave of nausea crested, bitter acid rising in her throat. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd been dealing with David Rossi and his formidable temper for years. And it wasn't as if she hadn't been expecting him after she'd released Agent Prentiss from service. If she was being honest with herself, she was surprised it had taken him more than thirty minutes to invade her office.

Watching Strauss icily beautiful face pale and a hand go to her stomach again, Dave smirked. "Finally managed to make yourself sick with the bullshit you've served up, Erin? Karma catches up with all of us, doesn't it? You've spent years terrorizing my team. Fucking years, Erin! And it ends today! Rescind the fucking termination on Agent Prentiss! If you want to release your venom on somebody, come at me. Trust me, bitch, after all these years, I'm more than ready for you."

The room spun as Erin lifted a shaky hand to her suddenly spinning head. What the hell had that bastard just said to her? Focus, Erin, she commanded herself, attempting to make sense of her confused thoughts. You can't allow this man, of all men, to perceive you as weak. "I'm sorry, but my decision stands, David. Agent Prentiss has the least amount of seniority on the team and..."

"And nothing, Erin! Don't hand me that load of bureaucratic crap, damn you!" Dave argued violently, completely overlooking her suddenly weak voice. "You did this to show me once again that you're the biggest bullying bitch on the playground! Fucking try and deny it!"

"I...I..." Erin faltered, swaying on her feet as she felt a bead of sweat travel down her neck to drip on her white silk shirt. Damn, that was going to stain, she idly thought as Rossi continued to rail against her. Why couldn't she focus...and her chest...it felt so tight.

"Answer me, goddamn you, Erin," Rossi said, demanding an explanation to a question she'd never heard. Damn it, he thought darkly, the woman was obviously determined to raise his blood pressure with her ice queen act.

And as she forced her eyes to meet his dangerously glittering orbs, Erin shook her head, comprehension dawning regarding her situation. And in those last moments before unconsciousness claimed her, she whispered words she knew he'd never understand. Especially coming from her.

"David," she gasped, her eyes wide as she began to crumble, her knees starting to weaken at an alarming rate.

"What?" Rossi barked, his one word question echoing in the room. "You finally have _something _interesting to say, Strauss?"

"I'm so sorry," she whispered faintly before finally surrendering to encroaching darkness as she pitched forward into his surprised arms.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Two**

Catching her slender limp weight against him automatically, Dave frowned, his earlier ire suddenly deflating for a second. "Erin?" he asked gruffly, jostling her against him, his arms tightening as she began to slide against him. Getting no response, Dave realized something was wrong in one jarring instant of startling clarity. While the Erin Strauss he knew would pull a lot of cards out of her proverbial deck, the "poor weak little me" act wasn't one of them. Never had been.

"Erin?" he called her, more forcefully this time as he bounced her body in his arms. "Shit," he muttered, glancing down at her slack, still face, her weight growing heavier by the second. Easing her down on the floor, Dave lightly slapped her pale cheeks, willing her eyes to open...silently begging her for some barbed remark to put him back on the beaten path he'd traveled for years with her.

No response, he thought distantly to himself as his heart began to thud a little harder in his chest. Lifting his lightly trembling hand to her throat, he felt for a pulse as he shouted, the first shards of fear piercing his soul, "Erin!"

Finding nothing, not even an intermittent flutter in her neck, he grabbed her wrist. Still nothing. Bending his head, it registered that she wasn't breathing either.

Double shit!

"Goddamn it, Erin. You don't win an argument between us by dying," he hissed under his breath as he stared down at the woman he'd once loved with every fiber of his being. And in that second, a glimmer of that earlier emotion rose back to the surface, demanding that he do whatever necessary to save her. "Help!" he shouted hoarsely over his shoulder, his fingers stumbling awkwardly as he unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt, the material slippery between his fingertips. "Somebody get the hell in here!" he demanded harshly as he linked his shaking hands together and pumped her chest.

"Yes?" Amanda said, running inside the room. One look at the situation before her drained the color from her cheeks. "Oh my God," she whispered, her pupils dilating as she wobbled on her sensible heels. "What did you..."

"Shut up!" Dave barked, his gaze never wavering from Erin's unresponsive face as he pumped her chest. "Do something useful and call a fucking ambulance."

He heard the young woman run from the room, ostensibly to call the paramedics he had just demanded. Bending quickly, he blew the required two breaths in his nemesis' mouth, silently willing her to breathe. "Don't you dare fucking die on me, Erin," he whispered hoarsely, the heels of his hand digging into her sternum, compressing her chest. "Don't you fucking dare!"

His eyes flickered toward her pale face even as his hands resolutely dug into her chest. "Don't you do this, Erin," he ground out, his words growling out of his suddenly parched throat. "This isn't how your story ends, damn it! How many fights have you and I had over the last quarter century? You've never once willingly conceded. Don't you fucking start now! You never gave me an inch, damn it," he whispered hoarsely. "Now you decide in your infinite wisdom to turn over the whole fucking mile?" Delivering two short breaths to her lips, Dave felt tears pricking his closed lids. "Not like this, babe," he whispered against her mouth, for an instant remembering a moment when those lips of hers had been warm, responsive and infinitely sweet beneath his. "I don't want to win like this," he said, brushing a kiss to her cool cheek before he resumed pumping her heart.

"You have to fight, Erin," he demanded sternly, hardening his voice. Hell, if she could hear anything, he knew sweet and sentimental wouldn't get the job done. Not with this woman. No, she responded to power. To force. "Fucking breathe, Erin," he growled, pumping her chest harder. "Damn you, I'm going to wring that scrawny neck of yours when this is over for pulling this stunt," he whispered brokenly.

"Dave?" he heard a deep familiar voice speak from behind him. "Christ! What happened?" Taking in the scene in front of him, Dave on his knees beside an evidently unconscious Erin Strauss, Aaron Hotchner's mouth went dry as Dave's frenzied eyes met his.

"We were fighting," Dave panted, bending to blow in Erin's mouth quickly again. Rising to resume compressions, he continued, his words jerkily leaving his lips, "She went down." Sparing a look toward Aaron Hotchner, he briefly shook his head. "Trust me, Aaron, if I'd been trying to kill her, it would have been a hell of a lot more satisfying than this! Get over here and help me."

Moving quickly, Aaron knelt on the other side of Erin's body, taking over compressions so that Dave could concentrate on the respiratory end of things. Shifting his gaze from the downed Section Chief to Dave as he pumped her chest, his hands noticeably shaking now, Aaron could see what this was costing his friend. The panicked, terrified glint shining in Dave's eyes and the flexing jaw were the only indicators Hotch needed to know that if Erin Strauss slipped away, the man working to save her would crumble. They worked in silent tandem for what felt like hours, each man aware of the irony...saving their worst enemy's life.

But neither was willing to give up. Whatever else Erin Strauss was, she was a human being, a fellow agent...a man, or woman as the case was, down.

"Anything?" Hotch asked raggedly, lifting his shoulder to wipe his sweaty brow. How long had they been working? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Jesus, where the hell were those medics?

Turning his face sideways so that his cheek hovered against Erin's parted lips, Dave nodded, a sheen of dim hope entering his gaze. "I've got air," he whispered gratefully, his heart stuttering in his chest. Grabbing her wrist, he focused on her waxen face. "Her pulse is thready and it's weak," he croaked, his tongue thick in his mouth as emotion clogged his throat, "but, it's there." His hand shook as he reached up to smooth the fallen woman's sweaty hair back from her face. "Just hang in there, Bella," Dave whispered, unconsciously slipping back in time, using an endearment that hadn't passed his lips in a quarter of a century.

And watching David Rossi's haggard face etched with worry and fear, Hotch knew...some loves didn't die.

Even when it was the love for your own worst enemy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Dear Readers: Please know that I have altered the timeline of this story for storyline purposes. We're aware that the years do not add up.**

**Author's Note: As you all know by now, we are in full swing on the Profiler's Choice Awards hosted on "Chit Chat on Author's Corner". And we'd like to offer an extra incentive to get those nominations rolling in. For the next five people to complete the nomination ballot in its entirety, I would be happy to write a oneshot of your pairing preference (hetero, slash or femslash, doesn't matter!). We have an abundance of incredible stories and authors to choose from this year and we have already received many wonderful nominations. Just to refresh your memory though, tonnie2001969 and myself (ilovetvalot) have removed ourselves from eligibility in the interest of avoiding all appearances of self-promotion. But, we want to make this an incredible experience for each one of you and give you a well-rounded final voting selection to choose from. So let's all put on our reading caps and pick our favorites! **

**Also, don't forget to sign up for our newest challenge at the forum. We're honoring Halloween with our first ever "Candy Land Challenge" and signups run through September 30th! Details are at the forum!**

**As always, guys, Happy Reading!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Three**

He prowled the small waiting room like a caged animal, stalking from one corner to the next and back again, his eyes forever darting around, looking for any disruption in his surroundings...anyone that he could maul on a whim.

It had been hours since he'd seen his last glimpse of the woman that he would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that he despised...that he loathed with a virulence that would instill fear in the stoutest of hearts. He'd been convinced that there had been nothing left within him that cared an iota for the statuesque beauty whose hand he'd clutched in his own as they'd ridden to the hospital.

Fuck, he hated it when he was wrong. Especially about himself.

Pacing the length of the room again, he cursed his foolishness. Caring for Erin Strauss was about as wise as trying to tame the wind. And loving her, that was even stupider still. It was a lost cause...and there would never be a winner in that fool's game. Hadn't she proven that to him over two decades ago?

He'd loved her once. But more than that, he'd _trusted her. _Then.

He'd loved easily in his life, falling in and out of the state of consciousness without rhyme or reason...but trust was something he'd given very few. Fewer still, since her betrayal.

_Ancient history, Dave, his mind admonished sternly._ _Focus on what you know...what you can control._

Hell, that was the real kick...once again that vicious witch had stolen his control. She'd used her heart both times….this time, with one well timed massive heart attack. Damn her...he couldn't even hate her for that. He was entirely too busy being scared out of his fucking mind.

And if there was one thing he hated more than being wrong, it was being scared.

Rounding the room again, he growled, to no one in particular, "What the hell is taking so long? You'd think somebody could at least find a second to let us know _something_."

"Dave," Hotch said softly from the chair nearest the window, glancing toward his shell shocked friend with concerned eyes, "They warned us the surgery could take a while depending on how bad the blockage to her artery was...it's only been a couple of hours."

"And I'd imagine her doctors are a little more concerned with saving the Chief's life than keeping _you_ informed," Amanda said tersely from her seat in the corner, her eyes cold and accusing as she looked at Dave.

"You can stop looking at me like that," Dave snapped, nearly undone by the familiar cool gaze focused on him...so much like Erin's it threatened to cripple him. The young woman had obviously learned at the feet of the master. "I didn't give her the fucking blockage, Amanda."

"No, you only precipitated the events that led us here, didn't you?" Amanda muttered, disdain dripping from her words as she tightened her fingers around Chief Strauss' black handbag.

Choosing to ignore her comment, Dave wheeled on his feet, pacing in the other direction. Hell, what could he say to her? A denial? She was right. When he'd gone into that office, he'd been looking for Erin's blood...hell, he'd been ready to throttle her with his bare hands. But when faced with the cold reality of her death...watching as the life had drained from her face...he'd frozen, unable to imagine a world without her in it.

And then he'd worked his ass off to bring his worst enemy back.

Only, right now, Erin felt like anything but his enemy. Right now, he wasn't sure how he felt. And that shit confused the hell out of him. Scrubbing a weary hand down his face, Dave's sharp eyes went back to Amanda's averted face. "Have you even bothered to call Phillip yet? Where the hell is he at? His goddamn wife is lying on an operating table! Where the fuck is he?"

Staring back at Dave, her expression confused, Amanda squinted up at Dave. "Pardon me?"

"I asked where the hell Phillip Strauss is? Why isn't he here pacing this waiting room, you little..." Dave hissed.

"Dave!" Hotch said sharply in warning, his shoulders stiffening as he prepared to stand.

"Why would he be?" Amanda bit out, proving quickly that she was capable of fighting her own battles. "Chief Strauss and her husband divorced almost six months ago," she revealed stiffly. "I don't know of too many ex-husbands that would come hang around at their ill ex-wives bedside, do you?" she asked sarcastically.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Dave asked, shaking his head as he attempted to decipher the woman's words. "Erin and Phillip have been married almost two decades."

"And for two decades she kept her peace about his philandering ways...right up until their youngest went to college. As soon as Lily cleared the house, Phillip served the Chief with divorce papers," Amanda retorted belligerently, her anger regarding the entire situation reflected in her eyes. "Papers she chose not to contest."

"Trust me, kid, your boss is no saint herself," Dave muttered, dropping his hand in his pocket as he clutched his Styrofoam cup of coffee. "Some of the things that so-called paragon you worship has done would curl that straight hair of yours."

"Dave, enough," Hotch warned in a low tone as he watched Amanda's face tighten. If anything was clear here, it was that Strauss' young assistant was incredibly loyal. And now was not the time to allow a brouhaha to develop…not when emotions were already riding high.

"You know," Amanda spat, rising from her seat as she glared at Dave, "I've just about had it with you. Ever since your return to the Bureau, Chief Strauss had defended your choices and actions...according to her, you aren't nearly as bad as your reputation indicates...you have your _reasons,_" she continued, using air quotes, "for the things you do...the things you say. But for the life of me, all I see standing in front of me is a prize bastard!"

Advancing toward the younger woman angrily, Dave narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You don't know a fucking thing about my relationship with your boss, lady. If you were wise, you'd keep your mouth shut because I'm rapidly running out of patience here."

Smiling smugly, Amanda lifted a brow. "Really?" she queried. "I know enough to know that woman behind those doors," she said, jabbing a finger toward the double steel doors leading to the operating rooms, "has run herself _ragged_ trying to save you and what's left of your miserable team! You want to know what the original orders were, Agent Rossi?" Amanda asked venomously, not waiting for a response. "The order from above was to eliminate two agents positions AND disassemble your entire team! She was fighting _for _you," she shouted, looking between a silent Hotch and a livid Rossi. "She was doing everything she could do to save as many of YOUR sorry collective asses as she could."

"You're lying," Dave denied automatically, shaking his head vigorously. "That woman wouldn't piss on either Hotch or I if we went up in flames in front of her," Dave growled, advancing toward the woman with rage filled eyes.

"No, Dave," Hotch said quietly, stepping in front of Amanda, placing himself between the warring factions. "She isn't," he said, shaking his head at his heavily breathing friend. "Step back and stand down," he ordered softly. "This isn't Amanda's fault. She's defending her boss, the same way any of the team would defend each other. I'm sorry, man. But everything she's saying is true. That's why I tried to stop you from storming the gates today. Strauss was on our side today."

And taking a blind step back, Dave turned sharply, hurling his coffee cup toward the wall. "Mother fucker!" he exploded.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: As you all know by now, we are in full swing on the Profiler's Choice Awards hosted on "Chit Chat on Author's Corner". And we'd like to offer an extra incentive to get those nominations rolling in. For the next five people to complete the nomination ballot in its entirety, I would be happy to write a oneshot of your pairing preference (hetero, slash or femslash, doesn't matter!). We have an abundance of incredible stories and authors to choose from this year and we have already received many wonderful nominations. Just to refresh your memory though, tonnie2001969 and myself (ilovetvalot) have removed ourselves from eligibility in the interest of avoiding all appearances of self-promotion. But, we want to make this an incredible experience for each one of you and give you a well-rounded final voting selection to choose from. So let's all put on our reading caps and pick our favorites! **

**Help us to nominate some of the greatest authors and stories in the fanfic world!**

**Also, don't forget to sign up for our newest challenge at the forum. We're honoring Halloween with our first ever "Candy Land Challenge" and signups run through September 30th! Details are at the forum!**

**As always, guys, Happy Reading!**

* * *

**The Story**

**Chapter Four**

_**Prompt: One Tree Hill - **__**You Have to Be Joking**_

This had to be some kind of fucking cosmic joke, Dave thought desperately, watching the brown streaks of his coffee slide down the wall in front of him. It had to be!

The fates had cast Erin Strauss in a fucking altruistic role? Not goddamn likely. He knew that woman well, and she'd never been mistaken for anyone's fairy godmother before. Turning toward Hotch, however, he saw the truth in the other man's eyes. Everything they'd told him was fact.

But, why?

"Erin never does anything out of the goodness of her heart, Aaron," Dave denied hoarsely, glancing toward the younger man. "What's the catch?"

"I couldn't find one, Dave," Hotch replied, his voice low, the curious glances from the nurses catching his attention. "I looked, Dave. She was on the level."

"My God," Amanda gasped in horror, her fist clenching at her side. "Would you listen to yourselves?" she bit out, glaring at both men. "Chief Strauss bent over backward to help your unit despite the risk to her own health and..."

"What fucking risk?" Dave rapped out, finding out quickly that the little secretary was a fount of information.

Shaking her head, Amanda released a frustrated breath before saying, "Her heart, you idiot! Isn't it obvious? Look at where we're sitting," she said, fanning her arms out to encompass the room.

"Wait! Erin _knew_ she was sick?" Dave asked blankly, his stomach sinking as the reality of the situation asserted itself.

"Of course, she knew. Her cardiologist had recommended three months ago that she retire...but the powers that be were making noise about eliminating a BAU team...she didn't want to leave until she'd assured Alpha team's permanence," Amanda explained, her sentences disjointed as she drew in a heavy breath. "She was trying to solidify everything she could before she left the Bureau."

"Erin doesn't give a damn about Alpha team," Dave snarled, his reeling mind still unable to comprehend the seemingly impossibilities being voiced. "She never has."

"You're wrong," Amanda snapped, her blue eyes flashing. Shaking her head, she grimaced. "You know what, think what you want! Based on what I've learned about you during my tenure, you will anyway. But, don't you dare badmouth Chief Strauss where I can hear you, you ass. In the few short years I've known her, that woman had done more for me than my own parents!"

"Believe me," Dave hissed, uncaring if he hurt the young woman with his wrath, "Erin's influence shows in spades with you. You've picked up on her snootiness like a champ."

Taking a step back as his insult reached her ears, Amanda's eyes widened. "Why are you even here?" she spat, her cheeks reddening with anger. "Either of you?" she said with a cold look at Aaron. "Both of you have made it clear that you have no feelings for Erin. Just leave!"

"You don't know the first thing _about_ my feelings for Erin, Little Girl," Dave growled, stepping toward the secretary threateningly.

"Enough!" Hotch barked, stepping in front of the trembling, emotional assistant, pushing her gently toward the chair she had vacated. "Dave! Whatever Erin has done to you...that has nothing to do with this woman. Get a hold of yourself."

"Damn it," Dave said gruffly, striding toward the chair in the corner and throwing himself in it heavily. "Damn, damn, damn," he muttered, burying his face in his hands as he reminded himself of the dozens of reasons he shouldn't let this girl's innocent confessions affect him. But none of those reasons seemed to hold water anymore….the dam had started to break.

"Look," Hotch said softly, turning toward Amanda and kneeling in front of her chair, "I know it might not seem like it, but he cares for her, Amanda. A lot."

"Really," Amanda snorted, focusing on the earnest man in front of her in spite of her earlier anger.

"Really," Hotch confirmed sincerely. "They share a past, Amanda," he said in a hushed voice. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?" he whispered. Hell, it wasn't his place to divulge Dave's secrets...especially when he knew the older man confided in only a chosen few. He probably wouldn't know this part of Dave's past if he hadn't have been there to watch the near catastrophic fallout.

Aaron always assumed it was part of the reason Erin hated him...he knew what she'd done to Dave. Or, at least, he thought he did. But he was quickly realizing that _nothing_ was as it seemed anymore...and he wasn't certain of anything at this point.

Well, almost nothing, he silently amended, glancing toward a nearly shattered Dave. He was pretty positive that too many startling revelations in too short a period of time had Dave near implosion. And this young woman and her devotion to Erin Strauss had lit the match, whether she realized it or not.

"Please, Amanda, for now, let it be. Regardless of how Rossi is acting, he wants the best for your boss. He wouldn't have worked his ass off to bring her back otherwise."

"Fine," Amanda whispered huskily, her eyes clouding with tears, "but, you keep him away from me. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Chief Strauss, Agent Hotchner. And I won't listen to him or anyone else malign her while she's in this condition. It isn't as though she can defend herself right now. Hell, she wouldn't defend herself against him," she said with a bitter nod toward Dave, "when she was in good health."

"There _are_ reasons, Amanda, but it isn't my story to tell," Aaron replied quietly, patting the secretary's hand gently as he eased into the nearby seat.

"I don't need to know it. All I need to know is that he won't go for her throat as soon as she's out of surgery. You didn't hear him tearing into her earlier," she whispered, shaking her head, her long hair swishing. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she murmured, "He was relentless. I never should have left her alone with him."

"We've had worse fights," Dave said, his voice hollow, easily overhearing the young woman in spite of her lowered voice. "Much worse. It never ended like this. And I didn't realize until today that it would matter if it had. Erin is safe from me, kid. But I'm going to need to talk to her."

Hearing the despondency in the elder man's voice, Amanda stared at him for a moment before she nodded grudgingly. "I'm not in a position to stop you. But, if anything happens to her, it's on your head."

"He knows, Amanda," Hotch murmured, squeezing the woman's hand in warning before crossing the room to Dave's side. "C'mon, Dave. Let's take a walk around the corridor and grab you another cup of coffee. It's shaping up to be one long night for all of us."

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello, all our fanfic friends! Several announcements today, so, hang on tight!**

**First, our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" has a new interview up with the fabulously talented klcm. Please stop by and get to know her and several other of the brilliant authors in CM fanfic. And if anyone has an author that they'd like to see interviewed, please shoot me a private message. I promise that we'll do our best to coax them over to talk to us!**

**Second, there are FIVE days left for the October Challenge, "The Candyland Challenge". In the spirit of Halloween, the rules are simple. Name a candy, a pairing you'd like to see written and the pairing you normally write. You'll be assigned a pairing and a candy by October 1st. You will have until Halloween (October 31, 2010) to post a story with your candy prompt and pairing. It does NOT have to be a Halloween story...it just must contain a reference to the candy. For example, if you were assigned a "Goo Goo Bar" as a candy, you could make that the candy an actual BAR in your story. The more creative, the better. Sign-ups are at the forum or you can shoot us a PM (ilovetvalot OR tonnie2001969) if you're interested.**

**Also, please, please, please don't forget to get your nominations in for the first EVER "Profiler's Choice Awards. Nomination ballots and rules are at the forum. Don't forget, I'm (ilovetvalot) still willing to write a oneshot of your pairing choosing to the next five people to complete a ballot. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your favorite stories and authors the recognition that they deserve on ff. net. Also, please remember, in the interest of just saying "no" to self-promotion, ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are NOT eligible for nomination.**

**So, please, drop by and get a blank ballot and tell the fanfic community who YOUR favorites are! We'd love to have you!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Five**

Keeping pace beside Dave as he paced up and down the hallway in silence, Hotch offered his friend a sidelong glance.

Shell shocked.

That was the only term her could come up with to describe the man beside him. With the rug he'd thought had been nailed to the floor ripped from beneath his feet, David Rossi was no longer sure of anything… including his feelings for a certain cool beauty currently lying on a OR table fighting for her life.

A life he'd returned to her. A life, just minutes before her episode, he'd sworn to take from her.

Jesus, Rossi grumbled to himself, it really was true. Life wasn't meant to be enjoyed. It was merely a game of survival in the cosmic scheme of things.

"Dave," he heard Hotch murmur as a restraining hand landed on his shoulder. Turning, he watched as a vaguely familiar man approached them clad in green scrubs.

"It's the surgeon," Hotch stated needlessly.

Thanks for the fucking newsflash, Dave almost growled, his temper once again flying quickly to the surface. But, somehow he managed to control himself as Erin's cardiologist approached.

"How is she?" Dave asked abruptly, not bothering to wait for the forthcoming news before he began firing questions in rapid fire. "How bad was the damage? Were you able to repair the damage to her artery?"

"Dave, give the man a chance to speak," Hotch admonished quietly, trying to read the doctor's expression and failing miserably. Most days, he would guarantee that physicians had better poker faces than profilers. And today was no different.

Swiping his black scrub cap off his head, Dr. Newman ran a hand through his damp sweaty hair as he judged the two men in front of him. Obviously concerned, each was waiting for his verdict on the intricate surgery he'd just performed. And while the younger appeared calm, the elder looked at him was barely restraining himself. His posture definitely indicated that if answers, or rather the answers he wanted to hear, weren't forthcoming...and soon…all hell was going to break loose.

"Ms. Strauss is stable at the moment. We'll keep her on the respirator for the next several hours in order to give her body an opportunity to recuperate," Dr. Newman began, his eyes looking yearningly toward the coffee machine in the corner of the room.

"And her heart?" Dave asked gruffly, wearying of waiting for the cardiologist to answer what he deemed the important questions. Fists tightening at his sides, he asked, "Were you able to remove the blockage and repair the damage?"

"It was touch and go for a while," Dr. Newman replied gravely, turning his full attention back to his inquisitor. "We lost her twice on the table..."

Stiffening at that information, Dave's eyes searched the doctor's face gravely. "But you said she was stable," he growled.

"And she is. Now." Gesturing toward the wall of the hallway, Dr. Newman nodded to a colleague passing down the hall. "The damage to Ms. Strauss' arterial wall was substantial, but we were able to remove the blockage and control the bleeding. I have no reason to believe that she won't recover. It'll be a slow process and she'll have to go through the cardiac rehab regimen, but in time, I suspect she'll be able to resume most normal activity."

"Can I see her?" Dave asked quickly, his eyes darting around the hallway, almost as if he expected her to magically appear.

"Mr. Strauss, as I said, she's still on the respirator so she won't be able to communicate with you. We're still keeping her somewhat sedated. But, we expect to remove it in the next twelve hours or so provided her condition remains stable. But, yes, I see no problem with sitting with her."

Not bothering to correct the doctor's assumption that he was Erin's husband, Dave nodded as he said, uncharacteristically meekly, "I'll stay out of the way. I just want to see her."

"She's in room 302. I'll be by to check on her after my rounds," Dr. Newman nodded, excusing himself.

Looking at Hotch, Dave murmured, his brow furrowed, "I know her secretary is closer to her than I am, but..."

"Go, Dave," Hotch nodded. "I'll take care of letting Amanda know the current situation. Go see her," Hotch stated, his voice heavy with unspoken understanding.

"Thanks," Dave nodded on a shaky sigh before purposefully striding down the corridor toward the patient rooms. Maybe once he saw her, this sick feeling would dissipate and he'd be able to think rationally again. Maybe that comfortable animosity would return and he could return to normal...to what was familiar.

But as he approached her room, he couldn't help but wonder if anything would ever be the same again. The world had turned on its axis. Up was down. Down was up.

And _nothing_...nothing made any sense.

Erin's actions, if her secretary and Hotch could be believed...and he strongly suspected they could… couldn't be explained. A woman didn't suddenly change after two decades of hating him and being hated in return.

Did she?

Only one person had those answers for him though, he thought grimly, pausing outside the closed door to room 302. And at the moment, she wasn't exactly in a position to channel Chatty Kathy. Not that she ever had been. No, Erin valued silence. She always had, even all those years ago. So many things had gone unsaid between them simply because of her refusal to argue. Her steadfast denial to communicate. Even now, over a quarter of a century later, he couldn't pinpoint the moment she'd withdrawn from him.

No, his mind was still only too overwhelmed with the cruelty she'd inflicted on him. With that one act, even years later, he was incapable of forgiving.

Reminding himself that the present was the focus, not the past, Dave forced himself to shove those bitter memories to the dim recesses of his mind. He doubted he'd ever understand her reasoning on the events of their shared past, let alone the life changing decisions she'd made without him. But, there was hope that he could gain answers for the events of recent weeks…if she managed to make it through the next few days.

And reaching for the door, he was determined. She would.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hello, all our fanfic friends! Several announcements today, so, hang on tight!**

**First, our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" has a new interview up with the fabulously talented klcm. Please stop by and get to know her and several other of the brilliant authors in CM fanfic. And if anyone has an author that they'd like to see interviewed, please shoot me a private message. I promise that we'll do our best to coax them over to talk to us!**

**Second, there are THREE days left for the October Challenge, "The Candyland Challenge". In the spirit of Halloween, the rules are simple. Name a candy, a pairing you'd like to see written and the pairing you normally write. You'll be assigned a pairing and a candy by October 1st. You will have until Halloween (October 31, 2010) to post a story with your candy prompt and pairing. It does NOT have to be a Halloween story...it just must contain a reference to the candy. For example, if you were assigned a "Goo Goo Bar" as a candy, you could make that the candy an actual BAR in your story. The more creative, the better. Sign-ups are at the forum or you can shoot us a PM (ilovetvalot OR tonnie2001969) if you're interested.**

**Also, please, please, please don't forget to get your nominations in for the first EVER "Profiler's Choice Awards. Nomination ballots and rules are at the forum. Don't forget, I'm (ilovetvalot) still willing to write a oneshot of your pairing choosing to the next five people to complete a ballot. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your favorite stories and authors the recognition that they deserve on ff. net. Also, please remember, in the interest of just saying "no" to self-promotion, ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are NOT eligible for nomination.**

**Also, readers & authors, please come sound off on our newest discussion thread. Tell us how you'd feel about the idea of a fanfic based CM Christmas Gift Fic Exchange. We're eagerly soliciting opinions and ideas!**

**So, please, drop by and get a blank ballot and tell the fanfic community who YOUR favorites are! We'd love to have you!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Six**

He hated hospitals.

The antiseptic smell. The sterile, impersonal rooms. The fluorescent lights.

He'd never been sure how such an unwelcoming environment could be conducive to the healing process.

Glaring at the cheap wall print hanging crookedly on the opposite wall, Dave tried to tune out the soft beeps and whooshes of the machines hooked up to Erin's still body. He'd been here an hour and he still couldn't bring himself to look at her face. Every time he tried, his own heart felt a bit faulty, constricting with startling force.

Gas, he thought, his mind firmly resolved as the muscle in his jaw flexed. Had to be gas. There was no way in hell he could possibly be considering the notion that it was his emotions playing Hackensack with his heart, he vowed, keeping his eyes carefully focused on the cracked yellow paint of the wall ahead of him.

"You know," a cheerful voice said from the doorway behind him, "it's been proven that the sound of a supportive voice aids in the body's recovery."

Glancing over his shoulder at the mocha skinned nurse clad in pink scrubs as she walked purposefully into the room, Dave asked hoarsely, "Pardon?"

Smiling as she grabbed Erin's chart from the end of the bed and strode toward the IV stand, making notes, the nurse kindly repeated, "I said to talk to her. The sound of your voice will help speed her recovery."

_Yeah, that might be true if the voice belonged to anybody but me, _Dave thought grimly_._

Staring at Erin's unadorned hand, resting heavily on the blue blanket draped across her legs, he asked hoarsely, unable to remember what her doctor had told him a mere hour ago, "How long will she have to stay hooked up to that breathing thing?" He would never admit it out loud, but the sound of that thing forcing air into her body was driving him slowly insane.

"Oh, she'll stay on the respirator for twelve to twenty-four hours, depending on her condition. But," the nurse added brightly, "your girl here seems to be doing pretty well. Hopefully it'll be closer to the prior than the latter."

Barely resisting the urge to snort at the young nurse's choice of words, Dave realized that Erin Strauss hadn't been his 'girl' in over two decades, and in a conscious state she'd have ripped the medical professional a new ass for her poor word choice. Even back then, she'd bristled whenever anyone had referred to her in that manner, a feminist to her cold core even then. It wasn't so much the "girl" she'd have found fault with as the qualifier of "his". And the mental image of Strauss going Gloria Steinam on the hapless nurse pulled a reluctant smile to his lips.

"Well," the nurse noted with satisfaction, replacing the chart at the end of the bed, "that's something. At least I got a smile out of you. The name's Alice, by the way. Just push the buzzer if you need anything," she said, nodding toward the red button on the side of Erin's bed. "And, trust me on this. Talk to her," she ordered gently before leaving the room, her soft footsteps barely audible.

God, somewhere along the way, either he'd fallen into an alternate universe or made an unscheduled trip to hell. He was allowing perfect strangers to order him around now, he thought, shaking his head as he forced himself to turn toward the head of the bed.

He studied the monitors first. The steady even beeps assuring him that all was well. And slowly, he finally turned his gaze on a woman he'd thought he understood. Evil was evil, right?

Evidently, not today.

Today, his breath caught in his throat as his eagle eyes landed on her pale face, still hauntingly beautiful even after all the years between them. Why hadn't he noticed that before today? The beauty?

He knew the answer. His focus had always been on whatever acidic barb they'd been trading. But, it couldn't be denied...Erin Strauss was still one of the loveliest creatures ever to cross his path. At least, outwardly. But looks were deceptive. And she'd proven what resided within her was cold and ugly.

Hadn't she?

But as his mind took a journey down memory lane, the truth was inescapable. When it had been good, it had been better than he'd ever experienced with any other woman. Mostly because she'd understood him...accepted him. It hadn't mattered that he'd been married at the time.

Nothing had mattered beyond the comfort...the acceptance he'd found in her soft arms.

Shaking his head sadly, he traced the line of her cheek tenderly. "You just couldn't settle for nailing my ass to the wall this time, could you? You just had to drag out a fucking stake and make it really interesting, huh?"

Sighing heavily as he scooted his chair toward the head of her bed, Dave murmured, touching a soft strand of her hair, "You and I...we were like fire and ice, weren't we?" Concentrating on her face, he murmured, "Either we burned hot as hell or we were as cold as a glacier in the middle of the fucking Arctic tundra. We never found our way to the comfortable temperature, did we?"

Swallowing hard as emotion welled in his throat, he whispered, "I tried to forgive you, Erin. I did. But you took what I wanted most...and you threw it away. You wanna know the biggest joke? You were the only woman I could ever imagine having had it all with."

Pausing as that familiar pain flooded his soul, he choked, "But you didn't want it." Breathing heavily, he ground out, "Was it me? Or was it your own goals and ambitions that made your mind up?"

Wiping his eyes quickly as he heard the door open behind him, Dave silently cursed. Yet another drawback to hospitals. Privacy went out the goddamned window.

"Sorry to interrupt again," Alice apologized quickly, holding up a couple of syringes. "Time for a medication update."

"What are you giving her?" Dave asked hoarsely, swallowing hard as he attempted to regain control of his spiraling emotions.

Flipping open Erin's chart, Alice perused it, comparing her syringes to the doctor's orders. "Hormone supplements," she replied after a second.

Snorting, Dave smirked. "So," he humphed smugly, looking down at Erin's still face. "Menopause, huh. It explains so much about the past couple of years."

"Uhmmm, no," Alice frowned, scanning the chart again. "Not unless she's been acting curiously for twenty-five years. The patient had a hysterectomy after a traumatic miscarriage twenty-five years ago. The chart indicates she fell down a flight of stairs during a home invasion."

"Wh-what?" Dave gasped, the blood draining from his face as his shoulders tensed. "What did you say?"

"She had a miscarriage," Alice stated, confused, turning to look at him . "You didn't know?"

"I th-thought she had an abortion," Dave whispered, rising to his feet as his hand went to Erin's without thought.

Looking back down at the chart, Alice shook her head. "No. No, sir. She suffered massive internal injuries inflicted on her by an unknown assailant during a home invasion. She tried to run...and..."

"Stop," Dave said hoarsely, holding up the hand not holding Erin's. "Please, stop," he whispered, horrified as he fell heavily back into the plastic chair.

"I'm sorry, sir," Alice murmured, quickly injecting the drugs into her patient's IV line. "I thought you knew," she continued, at a loss as to why a twenty-five year old tragedy would affect the companion of her patient so adversely. True, it was terrible, but...

"Could you please leave us alone?" Dave pleaded softly, his eyes filling with unshed tears as his eyes found Erin's face again. Oh sweet Lord, he thought blankly. What had he done all those years ago?

"Of course," the nurse nodded sympathetically, her heart going out to the elder man as she quickly left him alone.

Staring at Erin with wide eyes, Dave could barely comprehend what he'd learned. She hadn't killed his child, his mind screamed. No. While he'd been leaving his wife...she'd been attacked...victimized...and damn, if he hadn't done the same thing to her. No wonder she hated him.

Except, based on his other discoveries of the day...she didn't.

"Fuck," he whispered, his hand tightening around hers convulsively, unwilling to give up the only connection he had with her. "Well, what the hell does a guy do when he finds out that everything he thought he knew is a lie?"

Unfortunately, there was no answer for that.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hello, all our fanfic friends! Several announcements today, so, hang on tight!**

**First, our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" has a new interview up with the fabulously talented klcm. Please stop by and get to know her and several other of the brilliant authors in CM fanfic. And if anyone has an author that they'd like to see interviewed, please shoot me a private message. I promise that we'll do our best to coax them over to talk to us!**

**Second, there are TWO days left for the October Challenge, "The Candyland Challenge". In the spirit of Halloween, the rules are simple. Name a candy, a pairing you'd like to see written and the pairing you normally write. You'll be assigned a pairing and a candy by October 1st. You will have until Halloween (October 31, 2010) to post a story with your candy prompt and pairing. It does NOT have to be a Halloween story...it just must contain a reference to the candy. For example, if you were assigned a "Goo Goo Bar" as a candy, you could make that the candy an actual BAR in your story. The more creative, the better. Sign-ups are at the forum or you can shoot us a PM (ilovetvalot OR tonnie2001969) if you're interested.**

**Also, please, please, please don't forget to get your nominations in for the first EVER "Profiler's Choice Awards. Nomination ballots and rules are at the forum. Don't forget, I'm (ilovetvalot) still willing to write a oneshot of your pairing choosing to the next five people to complete a ballot. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your favorite stories and authors the recognition that they deserve on ff. net. Also, please remember, in the interest of just saying "no" to self-promotion, ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are NOT eligible for nomination.**

**Also, readers & authors, please come sound off on our newest discussion thread. Tell us how you'd feel about the idea of a fanfic based CM Christmas Gift Fic Exchange. We're eagerly soliciting opinions and ideas!**

**So, please, drop by and get a blank ballot and tell the fanfic community who YOUR favorites are! We'd love to have you!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Seven**

Walking blindly into the surgical waiting room half an hour later, his eyes bloodshot, Dave looked around the room, finding Erin's assistant easily.

Eyes widening in alarm as Rossi approached her, his haggard appearance producing a wave of dread, Amanda surged to her feet. "What? Is the Chief worse?" she croaked out, her words caught in her suddenly tightening throat.

"Dave?" Hotch asked warily, noting his best friend's pallor as he advanced toward them.

"Erin's kids...are they adopted?" he asked hoarsely, his inquiry aimed at the young woman.

Eyes dilating, gears clicked in Hotch's mind and slowly, things began to make a sick sort of sense. "Oh, dear God," he whispered, a growing sense of dread filling the pit of his stomach.

Taken aback, Amanda cocked her head. "Why?" she answered leerily, her boss' well guarded secret spilling from her enemy's lips a definite shock.

"Just answer the question, damn it!" Dave demanded, his voice echoing off the walls of the small room.

"Y-yes, they're adopted," Amanda replied, her voice stilted as she took an involuntary step backwards.

"Son of a bitch!" Dave exploded, his fist flying into the closest wall.

"But neither of her children know! And you can't tell them," Amanda said, growing panicked by the elder man's reaction, jumping as she heard the plaster crack.

"Trust me, Amanda, right now he doesn't have any intention of divulging Chief Strauss' secrets," Hotch said quietly, aware of the piercing pain this knowledge was inflicting on his friend. "It's a much more personal revelation for Agent Rossi. Why don't you go grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria while I handle this?"

Watching as the younger woman cast Dave one last wary look, he saw her nod of acceptance. Waiting until she'd walked out of the room, Hotch turned to Dave.

"It was all a lie, Hotch," Dave ranted, his fists clenching again. "Every goddamn thing I thought I knew...it was a lie. She let me believe...," he rambled hoarsely.

"Dave, take a deep breath and calm down," Hotch replied evenly.

"Calm down?" Dave said incredulously, kicking over the small coffee table in front of him in a fit of rage. "You were there that day, Aaron! You heard the things I said to her...the names I called her! Christ, I called her a murderer!"

"Dave," Hotch said calmly, "Slow down. I don't understand."

"She was attacked, Aaron. That week that we were gone. There was a home invasion. She lost the baby trying to get away from the bastard," Dave choked, his voice cracking as sudden tears filled his eyes. "And then, instead of telling me, she pulled her typical independent woman crap and let me believe..." Inhaling deeply, Dave amended, "No, that's not right. She let me accuse her of doing the unspeakable...and she didn't deny it! Why the fuck didn't she deny it?"

"I don't know," Hotch said softly, his mind struggling to process everything. "Only she knows that."

"Now that's not entirely true," a familiar voice said from the doorway.

"Jason?" Hotch asked, his eyes widening in disbelief on his former teammate, his appearance shocking to them all. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Amanda called me and filled me in," Jason shrugged as he stepped forward. "I was in town anyway and decided to swing by and check on an old friend. Sure as hell didn't expect to find you here though," he said, eyeing Rossi coldly. "Haven't you done enough to that woman?"

Eyes narrowing, Dave bit out as he took a step toward Jason, "You knew? You knew the truth?"

"Dave, don't," Hotch said sharply, grabbing Dave's arm when the older man would have taken a swing.

Shrugging Hotch off, Dave focused on the impassive man standing in front of him. "How could you keep this from me, you bastard! How could you do that to a friend?"

Stiffening, Gideon's gaze never wavered as he stared back at Dave, his eyes shards of ice. "Simple. You stopped being my friend the day you stormed into our bunker and accused a barely functioning woman to be a murdering bitch."

"If you recall, she'd just told me there was no baby anymore," Dave barked, his dark eyes glinting dangerously at the memory.

"Yeah, I recall," Gideon said, his eyes flashing as his chin lifted defiantly. "I recall that you walked into the bunker and the first thing you asked was, 'How's my baby?'. She fucking answered you. She told you there wasn't a baby anymore. YOU assumed she'd had an abortion."

"How the fuck can you blame me, Jason?" Dave rasped, his shoulders stiffening under the newfound burden. "All I'd heard about the previous week was how a child was going to derail every plan she'd ever made...she wasn't exactly over the moon over the prospect."

"I remember," Gideon nodded stiffly. "She was in shock. You were still married, you asshole. She was a single woman...one of the only female agents in the field at the time...and she'd just gotten news that rocked her world. She'd barely had time to process it before you were called back on the fucking road. But, I'm here to tell you that she got past the shock...she'd reached that happy, glowing stage in record time! And then some whack job broke into her house...caught her off guard without her gun and did things to her that I won't bother dumping on you at the moment. By the time you got home, she was barely functioning again. But you couldn't see past your own anger to see that, could you? It was all about YOU. Per the usual."

"Why the FUCK didn't somebody tell me?" Dave yelled, the information too much to handle in silence. "I loved her, goddamn it. I'd already left Kate for her," Dave rapped out, referring to his first wife. "Don't you think I deserved to know?"

"I might have said yes before you crucified her that afternoon. You didn't give her TIME to tell you anything before you convicted her of a crime she never committed. She was found guilty by Judge Rossi," Gideon remarked snidely.

"Why didn't somebody call me in the field, Gideon?" Dave asked, barely controlling his anger.

"Very few even knew what happened. That's the way Erin wanted it. The cops on the scene...me...the Director at the time. That's it. She didn't want us to tell you because she knew you. She knew your temper and she knew you'd lose your mind. Hell, afterward, you resigned so fast, none of us had time to have told you even if we'd wanted to. Which, after the things you'd said to her, I didn't," Gideon growled, clearly drawing the battle lines in the tension-charged air.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hello, all our fanfic friends! Several announcements today, so, hang on tight!**

**First, our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" has a new interview up with the fabulously talented klcm. Please stop by and get to know her and several other of the brilliant authors in CM fanfic. And if anyone has an author that they'd like to see interviewed, please shoot me a private message. I promise that we'll do our best to coax them over to talk to us!**

**And LAST CALL, GUYS!**

**Second, there are ONE days left for the October Challenge, "The Candyland Challenge". In the spirit of Halloween, the rules are simple. Name a candy, a pairing you'd like to see written and the pairing you normally write. You'll be assigned a pairing and a candy by October 1st. You will have until Halloween (October 31, 2010) to post a story with your candy prompt and pairing. It does NOT have to be a Halloween story...it just must contain a reference to the candy. For example, if you were assigned a "Goo Goo Bar" as a candy, you could make that the candy an actual BAR in your story. The more creative, the better. Sign-ups are at the forum or you can shoot us a PM (ilovetvalot OR tonnie2001969) if you're interested.**

**Also, please, please, please don't forget to get your nominations in for the first EVER "Profiler's Choice Awards. Nomination ballots and rules are at the forum. Don't forget, I'm (ilovetvalot) still willing to write a oneshot of your pairing choosing to the next five people to complete a ballot. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your favorite stories and authors the recognition that they deserve on ff. net. Also, please remember, in the interest of just saying "no" to self-promotion, ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are NOT eligible for nomination.**

**Also, readers & authors, please come sound off on our newest discussion thread. Tell us how you'd feel about the idea of a fanfic based CM Christmas Gift Fic Exchange. We're eagerly soliciting opinions and ideas!**

**So, please, drop by and get a blank ballot and tell the fanfic community who YOUR favorites are! We'd love to have you!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Eight**

"Christ," Rossi mumbled, stumbling backward as he fought to retain any sense of balance, "It's my fault. All my fault."

Relenting slightly as he stared at the crushed man in front of him, Jason Gideon said softly, "Look, if it helps...she let you believe what you wanted. In a way, it was easier for her that way."

"What?" Dave asked blankly, jerking his gaze back to Jason, trying to comprehend the words that he knew had just been said.

"She knew how much you wanted that baby, Dave," Gideon said softly. "How much you wanted kids, period. And when all was said and done, after the surgery...she realized that she couldn't give you what you wanted. You saved her from having to walk away from you. You did it first."

Meeting Gideon's eyes, Dave whispered, brokenly, "I wouldn't have walked, Gid. Not if I'd known the truth. And there's no way in hell I would have let her walk away from me. I loved her. You _know_ how much I loved her. Why the fuck do you think I reacted the way I did?"

"It was a fucked up situation, Dave. And honestly, she begged me to keep my mouth shut. And everybody in this room knows what THAT had to cost Erin," Gideon said, looking meaningfully from one man to the other. "I just didn't have the heart to betray her. Not after everything she'd been through."

"Okay," Dave nodded, breathing deeply, the stinging scent of antiseptic invading his nostrils. "But, why not later...why would she have put up with my shit for over twenty years?"

"That, I can't answer," Gideon shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "All I know is that after you left the Bureau, she changed. Erin was always a cool ticket...but she hardened...she took the most difficult cases...pursued UNSUBS with a ruthlessness that amazed even me. Then, Phillip stumbled into her life and he was the anti-you. Smooth talking little prick. They got married and a few years later adopted their kids. But she was never the same. Not after..."

"Not after me," Rossi whispered, dropping heavily into a chair, his legs suddenly no longer able to support him.

Licking his lips, Gideon glanced at Aaron. "You, she hated because you knew her secret. You'd seen her weak. And she couldn't stand you for it. She made you pay for it. Dearly. But, honest to God, Hotch...I don't think it was ever malicious. And when the chips were down, she always had your back."

Stunned, Hotch could only nod as he watched Gideon glance at his watch. "Look, I need to be at Dulles in an hour. Can I see her?" he heard the older man ask.

"Room 302," Rossi said hoarsely, his eyes slowly meeting his one time colleague's again. "She's going to recover, but she's still sedated and on a respirator. Be prepared," he warned. "She looks...defenseless."

"I'll be quick," Gideon nodded. "Mandy will keep me updated. Play nice with that kid, Rossi. If you want to make amends with Erin at some point, leave the girl alone. She thinks of her as a daughter. She once told me that she reminds her of you."

"Great," Rossi snorted, running a hand down his face. The kid hated him. He was off to a great start.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Gideon said softly before disappearing as quickly as he'd shown up.

Looking at Hotch, Rossi's lined face grimaced even tighter than before. "Can you fucking believe this shit?" he asked the younger man absently.

"Honestly?" Hotch murmured, shaking his dark head. "No. But strangely, it makes sense. Especially in hindsight."

"How the fuck do I even begin to fix this?" Dave asked bitterly. "No matter what I say to her...it's never going to be enough. There's no apology that's going to compensate for twenty years of bitter acrimony."

"It wasn't entirely one-sided, Dave," Hotch pointed out.

"C'mon, Aaron. We both know I waved the red flag, taunting her...mocking her. She should have just put a bullet in my head," Dave replied starkly. "At this point, I think it would have been kinder."

"Don't say that," Aaron shook his head. "We both know things would have gone down differently if you'd known the truth."

"And that doesn't excuse a fucking thing," Dave denied gruffly. Shaking his head as he stared into space, he could admit the truth. There wasn't any excuse for his behavior. He should have known she could never have eliminated their child. He'd known her better than that, hadn't he?

Then why had he chosen to believe otherwise?

"Dave, raking yourself over the coals isn't going to accomplish anything," Hotch said, finally finding his voice. "You have to focus on how to move forward from here."

"You want to know the cruelest irony, Aaron?" Dave whispered, his voice filled with unspoken regrets, unable to let loose of the tentacles of the past.

"Go ahead," Hotch prompted, inclining his head as he leaned heavily against the wall.

"After her, I never wanted another child. I couldn't imagine it with anyone else. Hell, I ran hellbent for leather if any woman so much as whispered it in my ear. She was the only mother I could ever imagine having for my son."

"I'm so damned sorry, Rossi," Hotch said softly, placing his hand on Dave's shoulder, a silent sign of solidarity.

"It wouldn't have mattered to me...the assault...the miscarriage. If I'd have had her, none of the rest would have mattered. We'd have survived it," Rossi muttered to himself, staring at his clasped hands. "And now, twenty some odd years too late, I find out the truth."

"Dave..."

"She'll never forgive me," Dave continued sadly. "How could she after all these years of anger and hatred?"

"You might be surprised," Aaron murmured, remembering those odd moments over the years when he'd seen Strauss' gaze focus on Dave longingly. The emotion was still there…shredded and tattered, but still there.

"I might be old, Aaron," Dave stated tiredly, "but, I'm not quite delusional yet."

"It's a decades old mistake, Dave," Hotch said, trying to infuse his voice with a confidence he didn't feel.

"With lasting effects," Dave agreed, nodding grimly. Pushing out of his chair, he sighed. "I need to get back in there with her. I don't want her to open her eyes and be alone. She was always afraid of dying alone," he mumbled, his words trailing off as he stared down at the generic linoleum.

"Then go be with her," Hotch said firmly. "Whatever's happened, Dave…you saved her life today. That counts for something."

"Not nearly enough, Aaron," Dave replied faintly, slowly walking out of the waiting room, the years weighing heavily on his soul.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hello, all our fanfic friends! Several announcements today, so, hang on tight!**

**First, our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" has a new interview up with the fabulously talented klcm. Please stop by and get to know her and several other of the brilliant authors in CM fanfic. And if anyone has an author that they'd like to see interviewed, please shoot me a private message. I promise that we'll do our best to coax them over to talk to us!**

**And LAST CALL, GUYS! THIS IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP!**

**Second, this is the last day to sign up for the October Challenge, "The Candyland Challenge". In the spirit of Halloween, the rules are simple. Name a candy, a pairing you'd like to see written and the pairing you normally write. You'll be assigned a pairing and a candy by October 1st. You will have until Halloween (October 31, 2010) to post a story with your candy prompt and pairing. It does NOT have to be a Halloween story...it just must contain a reference to the candy. For example, if you were assigned a "Goo Goo Bar" as a candy, you could make that the candy an actual BAR in your story. The more creative, the better. Sign-ups are at the forum or you can shoot us a PM (ilovetvalot OR tonnie2001969) if you're interested.**

**Also, please, please, please don't forget to get your nominations in for the first EVER "Profiler's Choice Awards. Nomination ballots and rules are at the forum. Don't forget, I'm (ilovetvalot) still willing to write a oneshot of your pairing choosing to the next five people to complete a ballot. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your favorite stories and authors the recognition that they deserve on ff. net. Also, please remember, in the interest of just saying "no" to self-promotion, ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are NOT eligible for nomination.**

**Also, readers & authors, please come sound off on our newest discussion thread. Tell us how you'd feel about the idea of a fanfic based CM Christmas Gift Fic Exchange. We're eagerly soliciting opinions and ideas!**

**So, please, drop by and get a blank ballot and tell the fanfic community who YOUR favorites are! We'd love to have you!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Nine**

Her eyes felt like they were encrusted with grit. It was her first coherent thought as her eyelids fluttered, the small motion taking all of the considerable energy reserves she possessed. Lifting a heavy hand toward her face, she frowned in confusion at the plastic tubing attached to her hand. What the hell?

Scrubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger, she struggled to make her eyes focus without her glasses. Damn old age.

Glancing to her left, she couldn't quell her audible gasp. "I'm in hell, aren't I?" she asked aloud, her throat dry and her voice cracking from disuse, the croaking sounding weird even to her own ears. And if she was indeed in the pits of Hades, then the devil looked remarkably like the great love of her life. Fitting.

"You always knew you'd have to pay the Devil his due," Dave replied hoarsely without opening his eyes. Afraid to open his eyes...afraid her voice was the product of an overactive imagination…he kept still in his chair. Perhaps if he just played along with the illusion, it just might become true.

"Wonderful," Erin replied coolly, rolling her eyes as she struggled to remember her last moments before awakening in a hospital bed with her one-time love and very current nemesis sitting by her side, "I'm in a hospital bed and you're cracking jokes. Why would I expect anything less, David?"

It wasn't a dream, Dave thought happily, her words confirming his greatest hope. Only a living, breathing, _conscious_ Erin Strauss could perfect that air of brazen aloofness while dressing someone down. "Well, well, well, Sleeping Beauty arises," Dave drawled, cracking open his eyes to meet Erin's curious gaze.

"Cut the crap and tell me what happened," Erin demanded, trying to ignore the fact that, even rumpled, he could still make her heart flutter in her chest. Wait! Her heart!

"How are you feeling?" Dave asked instead, ignoring her question, uncrossing his legs and leaning toward the bed to examine her face underneath the dim overhead light. "You've got more color since they took you off the respirator."

"Respirator?" Erin frowned, wincing as she tried to sit up in the bed, her muscles and bones suddenly less than thrilled with the change of scenery.

"Hey, don't do that?" Dave murmured, rising from his chair and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder to ease her back down.

"Why does my chest hurt so badly?" Erin asked as she let him hold her in place, glancing down at the shapeless hospital gown she wore and batting at the oxygen tubing in her nose, dislodging it.

"Stop that," Dave grumbled, reaching up to readjust the tubing around her face, his fingers gentle. "You need that. And to answer your question, there're a couple of reasons you're hurting. First, you had a massive heart attack and had to undergo open heart surgery." Pausing for effect as he let her process his first statement, he added, eyebrow cocked, "Second, I sort of cracked one of your ribs doing CPR. Sadly, I thought that would feel more satisfying. It didn't."

Jaw dropping as she listened to his explanations, she growled, exasperatedly, "You broke one of my bones?"

"I only cracked it," Dave replied defensively, frowning. "And that's the part of the equation that you're choosing to focus on here?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"It's the part that pisses me off," she retorted, her voice clipped, her tone refusing to acknowledge the true seriousness of the situation. Silent a moment, she murmured, her words a statement rather than a question, "So you saved my life."

"I worked on you until the paramedics took over," Dave returned noncommittally, resuming his seat beside her when he saw her settle back against the pillow. "Do you want some water? The nurse said you could have some when you woke up as long as you took it slow."

She couldn't deny she was parched and though it irked her to depend on him for anything, she couldn't resist nodding. "Please."

Reaching for the oversize mug, Dave held the straw to her lips, aware that she was too weak to do much besides sip. Waiting for her to finish, he put the mug back on the tray beside the bed. "Feel better?"

Feel better, she thought wildly, the statement striking her as hilariously out of place. She was sitting in a hospital bed while a man that had been her enemy for more years than he'd been a friend...well, lover, she amended… took care of her. "Less thirsty," she said by way of an answer, avoiding the entire sentiment. "Why are you here?" she finally asked after a few moments of complete silence.

"Well, folks weren't exactly lining up in the hallway to see you, Erin," Dave commented, immediately regretting the dig. Hell, they'd been trading barbs for so many years, it had become a way of life for them. Sighing, he took a half-step forward as he asked, bluntly, "Why didn't you tell me that you and Phillip had divorced?"

Eyes widening, Erin felt her cheeks flush. She hated being reminded of that particular failure. "Because my personal life has no bearing on my role as your superior."

"Nice volley," Dave complimented, raising a black brow as his eyes bored into hers.

"Thank you," she said with a cool smile.

Cocking his head, Dave murmured, "Well, your secretary was a fount of information while you were incapacitated. I've learned all kinds of interesting tidbits, Erin. From her. From your nurse. From Gideon," he stated, his voice neither condemning nor approving.

Oh, dear God, how the hell long had she been out? "Jason's been here?" Erin asked faintly, her chest once again starting to tighten. And this time, she was fairly certain it had nothing to do with the physical state of her heart.

"Come and gone," Rossi affirmed with a short nod. "He was worried. We all were."

"Tell me nobody has bothered my children with this, David," Erin demanded worriedly, her face pinched as she grasped the metal rails of the bed with a weak hand.

"Nobody has called them. But you should. They deserve to know that their mother is ill," Dave replied evenly, resting his hand next to hers, a scant inch between them.

Looking away, Erin nodded. "I will. Just not right now. They've both got finals this week. They need to concentrate on what's important."

"I think they'd say that their mother is what's important," Dave countered drily. "But I won't argue. When you're ready, I'll dial the phone," he nodded.

"Thank you," Erin replied tightly, her control eroding by the second. What the hell had this man learned while she'd been unconscious? Was there any part of her life that belonged to her anymore…or had the surgery opened up every hidden secret she'd kept under wraps for all these years?

Waiting for a moment, Dave watched her heart monitor closely. The last thing he wanted to do was say something to bring a nurse running in the room with them. When the lines on the small screen appeared to even out, he spoke. "Erin, we need to talk."

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

**_Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hello, all our fanfic friends! Several announcements today, so, hang on tight!**

**Please, please, please don't forget to get your nominations in for the first EVER "Profiler's Choice Awards. Nomination ballots and rules are at the forum. Don't forget, I'm (ilovetvalot) still willing to write a oneshot of your pairing choosing to the next five people to complete a ballot. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your favorite stories and authors the recognition that they deserve on ff. net. Also, please remember, in the interest of just saying "no" to self-promotion, ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are NOT eligible for nomination.**

**Also, readers & authors, please come sound off on our newest discussion thread. Tell us how you'd feel about the idea of a fanfic based CM Christmas Gift Fic Exchange. We're eagerly soliciting opinions and ideas!**

**So, please, drop by and get a blank ballot and tell the fanfic community who YOUR favorites are! We'd love to have you!**

* * *

**The Story Behind the Story**

**Chapter Ten**

"About what exactly?" Erin replied faintly, her fingers tightening around the blanket over her.

"Well," Dave drawled, wanting to relax her, the wariness evident in her tone and in her eyes, "we could start with the fact that your assistant has claws."

Her lips twitched as she thought of Amanda...her self-appointed guardian of the last few years. "She's very loyal to me," Erin commented vaguely.

"Massive understatement, Erin," Dave snorted, settling back in his chair as he kicked his legs out in front of him. "The woman wants to use my eyeballs as a stress ball."

"Sounds like Amanda," Erin sighed, shaking her head slowly against the pillow. "She's a good girl, David. If anything happens, please make sure she finds a good position at the Bureau. She deserves it."

"Find her one yourself," he automatically denied, hackles rising at the thought of her not being around to do those tasks herself. "You'll be around...despite the cracked rib."

"David, please," Erin whispered, turning to face him, meeting his eyes in a soft plea.

Lips tightening, Dave nodded grudgingly, "I'll take care of the kid if it comes to that. But it _won't._ The cardiologist says you're on the mend."

"How wonderful," Erin murmured with no real feeling.

"You know, for a lady that went three rounds with the Grim Reaper, I expected you to be a little happier," Dave remarked, examining her face, attempting to read behind the façade that she was able to maintain even after the traumas she had experienced.

"Sometimes death isn't the black cloud everyone dreads," Erin shrugged, the philosophical thought easing off her tongue.

"Bullshit," Dave snapped, his brows drawing together. "You're a fighter, Strauss. You always have been."

"Maybe I'm simply tired of fighting, David," Erin declared, wearily turning her head toward him again. "It's not nearly as fun as it used to be."

He owed her the truth. Looking in her distant eyes, he knew it. Swallowing, he said softly, "I know everything, Erin."

"Everything encompasses a lot of ground, David," Erin replied, her eyes wary as she stared back at him. Don't give anything away, Strauss, her mind urged. Tread carefully. He's hurt you before by using information against you. Don't let him do it again.

"Don't be coy," Dave demanded, no real heat in his voice. "You know exactly what I'm referring to."

"Don't, David. Don't do this to either of us," Erin whispered, her lips trembling in spite of her best effort to remain neutral. While she may have been unconscious for the past few hours, she was quickly becoming cognizant of the current situation…and she was not thrilled at all. "It won't do any good for either of us to revisit the past, no matter what you think you know."

"But that's just it, Erin. This time, I don't _think. _I _do_ know. Your most guarded secrets have been disclosed by a loose lipped nurse, a pissed off assistant, and a reluctant Jason Gideon."

"I always knew Jason would end up telling everything he knew," Erin ground out, her fists clenching around the hem of the sheet.

"In his defense," Dave murmured, "it _did _take him over two decades to get around to it. And I didn't really give him a choice. You see, your nurse revealed the bombshell involving the miscarriage...the assault," he stated softly, watching her face clench.

"Stupid," Erin hissed. "My own fault. I always kept my service weapon in the bedside drawer...it was the one night I'd left it locked in my desk," she shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault, Erin," Dave whispered, reaching for her hand. "I'm a quarter of a century late in telling you that...and I..."

"David, don't," Erin bit out, jerking her hand out of his warm grasp, unable to allow herself to accept his comfort. "I neither want, nor need, your pity. I made the decision to let you believe your own version of events."

"But, why, Erin?" Dave breathed, capturing her hand again as she averted her face from him, this time refusing to let her go. "Tell me why."

"Because I was broken," she rasped almost violently. "I'd lost my child...I'd lost my sense of security...I'd lost my ability to have children. What the hell did I have to offer anyone, let alone the man I loved?" Breathing heavily, she continued, "You wanted children...your children. You'd made that _all_ too clear during our time together. It's the reason you and Kate never worked. I knew that. After it happened...our relationship seemed rather pointless. I was never going to be able to give you what you wanted. The kind thing to do was to let you go on believing exactly the version of events you'd painted for yourself. I'd rather you have hated me than pitied me."

"I would never have _pitied_ you," Dave denied, clutching her hand tighter as she attempted to pull away. "I would have been sorry. Hell, I _am_ sorry! But I don't pity you."

"Don't be," Erin said tersely, her chapped lips pursing. "I'm fine."

"Jesus, Erin, you _aren't_ fine! I almost fucking killed you forty-eight hours ago!" Dave growled. "All because of a years old animosity that should never have stood between us in the first place."

"So what?" Erin snapped, jerking her head around to glare at him. "I owe you now? Because you saved my life?"

"The only thing I want you to give me is a chance, Erin," Dave replied slowly, smoothing his thumb across the top of her hand.

"To what? Break another rib?" Erin asked stiffly as her eyes assessed him.

Releasing a bark of laughter, Dave murmured, "I'd forgotten your sense of humor. No, I don't wanna break another rib. At least not today."

"Then what?" Erin asked suspiciously, her tired eyes narrowing. "What do you want from me?"

"I want us to try and go back to the beginning and try to do that part we never got around to," Dave explained gently, his deep voice hushed.

"What part?" Erin asked, relaxing slightly as she listened to his words.

"We've been lovers...and we've been mortal enemies. We never tried being friends," Dave commented evenly. "I think we should give that a shot."

"Friends?" she echoed.

"Friends," Dave nodded, squeezing her hand as he leaned forward. "Hell, Erin, what the hell could it hurt at this point? We've loved each other AND tried to kill each other. This might be a welcome change of pace."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt anything," she murmured, eyeing him carefully as she allowed herself to actually consider the option.

And as Dave met her crystalline gaze, he saw an odd mixture of hope and disbelief. But he was certain the positives could outweigh whatever negatives they had created between them.

And that...he could work with.

_**Finis**_

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Please let me know if you, the readers, would like a sequel to this story. As always, we appreciate each one of you!**_


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